1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to sporting gear having at least one surface equipped for nanoadhesion, more specifically to swimming goggles having a nanofiber surface to attach to the user's body, a shoe having a nanofiber surface on an outsole to attach to a nanofiber surface on a midsole, a nanoadhesive seam to connect panels as part of athletic apparel, and a nanofiber zipper.
2. Description of the Related Art
Today's sporting gear, including sporting apparel and sporting equipment, may be a combination of the latest innovations of technology from various scientific disciplines. The resulting products are a system of innovative advances all contributing to the performance, safety, and comfort of the athlete. One significant area to improve sporting gear is to attach different sporting gear components together or attach components to the wearer's body. Traditional processes to adhere components to each other and to the user have been imperfect.
In the case of swimming goggles and scuba masks, suction and compression have been traditional approaches to adhere a mask to the user's upper face. However, swim goggles utilizing these approaches frequently leak water into a space between a goggle lens and user's eye causing the user to lose the ability to properly see out of that eye resulting in a loss of potential performance. The swim goggle user may tighten the goggles and thereby push the goggles further into the skin around the eyes in an effort to create a more durable watertight seal. Unfortunately there are negative consequences to tightening goggles because they frequently create red rings around the user's eyes and cause swelling in this skin area by limiting blood flow and lymphatic return.
In the case of shoes, traditional chemical-based adhesives such as epoxy cement have permanently attached outsoles to lower midsoles. For users requiring new outsoles to repair those that have been worn down after miles of use, the practical solution has been to replace the whole shoes.
In the case of athletic seams used in clothing, there is a need for a better technique to bind clothing together at a seam to supplement or replace mere thread. After repeated uses of an article of clothing in athletic events or practice events the thread used for seams may break or tear the adjacent clothing to cause the clothing to become unusable.
In the case of zippers, there is a need for a better zipper. Metal zippers can tear at fabric and plastic zippers may mechanically jam and not allow either opening and/or closing. Further, zipper alternatives provide significant disadvantages. For example, hook and loop fasteners may attach to the wrong surface and cause surface damage.
There has been previous attempts to create goggles having no leaks, shoes having replaceable outsoles, and apparel having more robust seams and zippers. Yet these efforts have produced sporting gear that suffers from either deficiencies in performance, comfort, or safety.
There are adhesive systems in nature that have not been applied to sporting gear. For example, the adhesive system on the feet of some insects and lizards, such as Geckos, Anolis lizards, and skinks has attracted research interest. These organisms have been able to attach and detach their feet to climb smooth surfaces such as glass. The adhesion system involves the use of tiny slender natural protrusions known as setae (singular “seta”) attached to their feet. For example, a Tokay gecko lizard possesses seta having a diameter of five microns and a height of 110 microns. The seta may include a set of sub-protrusions which contact other surfaces and have even smaller dimensions. As these organisms climb up smooth surfaces such as glass, the setae help geckos form a temporary attachment so they do not slip and fall. Although aspects of a gecko-like adhesive system have been observed in nature, the technology has not yet been successfully applied to commercial products.
Although foregoing research efforts have met with varying degrees of success, there remains an unresolved commercial need for more leak-proof swimming goggles, shoes with replaceable soles, and athletic apparel with more robust seams and zippers.